Reader Review- Laura Ashley- Brother Computerized Sewing Machine

Please welcome Cindy Keery as our first Guest Reporter. We are so excited to have her join us today.Be sure to check out Cindy’s blog here. It’s a wonderful read!

This is so exciting! The brand New Limited Edition NX-2000 Sewing and Quilting Machine was just delivered to my door! I have the privilege of test-driving this fabulous machine for a week or so, and hope to complete a quilt on it from start to finish.

Brother’s new machine has a savvy design thanks to their new partnership with Laura Ashley which evokes classics of quintessential English design with clean, but feminine, styling and Victorian flavour.

The NX-2000 machine is decorated with signature Laura Ashley floral motifs in chalk pink and white is perfect for stitching quilts with varying fabric types, appliqués or embellishments

The NX-2000 has high-end embellishment capabilities. These include a total of 460 stitches – 430 built-in and 30 on CD – to help designers create Laura Ashley-inspired items with ease.

Specialty accessories to achieve professional sewing effects include:

A bobbin case engineered for bobbin-work stitching with specialty threads,

Task-specific machine feet for appliqué and better control of seams and top stitching.

The three specialty feet included provide more control, greater visibility and ease for echo quilting while the oversized work area and large extension table accommodate projects of virtually any size.

So far I have to say that I am quite impressed with this sewing machine. After excitedly opening the box and plugging in the machine I immediately wanted to use it. Who reads manuals anyway? I found it very simple to wind the bobbin and thread the machine without having to consult the manual. Just for fun, though, I clicked through the on-screen help section to make sure I had threaded it correctly. It’s so neat having everything right at your fingertips on the touch screen – unlike the knobs on my circa 1990 Pfaff.

One little problem that I did run into, which I am sure was pure user error, was I played around with the stitch settings on the nifty touch screen and then proceeded to start sewing without realizing that the stitch I had inadvertently selected did not go with the presser foot that was on the machine. This resulted in a needle immediately breaking and an error message flashing on the screen asking me if I’d broken or bent a needle. It would be good if the machine had a sensor that would not allow you to use stitches that don’t work with the presser foot that is currently on the machine… or at least a flashing message telling you which foot you need to switch to.

Thankfully this wasn’t a setback at all as it was really easy to change the needle.

One fun perk of this machine is you just press a button and – voila! The machine threads itself. Very impressive!

I love that you can see the bobbin while you’re sewing so you know if you’re about to run out.

The Good:

This sewing machine was very straightforward/easy to plug in and immediately start using. Although, I could have avoided one broken needle if I’d read the manual before beginning to sew.

I love that the machine threads itself at the push of a button.

I love that the machine cuts its own thread at the push of a button.

This sewing machine is pretty to look at. It’s nice that it has decorative flower decals on it.

The touch screen is large, clear and easy to read and it works well with either your finger or the stylus that comes with it.

I enjoyed the huge variety of stitches and can only imagine all of the possibilities and ways of using them in sewing and quilting projects.

It’s awesome that the Laura Ashley Limited Edition Sewing Machine comes with, basically, everything you need. I am impressed that you even get a top notch walking foot, and a foot for free motion quilting, an attachment for sewing circles and many other feet that I did not have time to experiment with.

This machine sews very well. I had no problems with tension, thread breakage or anything like that.

The 1/4″ foot with guide is very accurate, which is really important when piecing a quilt!

This machine quilts very well! It had no problem going through several layers or fabric and batting with ease.

This machine sews quietly!

The bottom line is: this sewing machine was by far the best sewing machine I have ever used and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is in the market for a high quality, innovative and reliable machine.

The ‘Could Be Better’:

DVD – I think it would be beneficial to a new sewing machine owner to receive with her machine an educational DVD. When you first open the magnificent, large box containing your brand new, state of the art, top of the line sewing machine it would be extremely helpful to see a DVD just inside the flap of the box. You could instantly watch it to learn how to set up and start using your machine.

It would be neat to have a laminated stitch guide that you could keep close by as a handy reference tool. Yes, there is a very well laid-out stitch guide in the back of the manual, but it would be nice to have it on laminated card stock.

It would be amazing if the machine refused to sew if you had selected a stitch that did not work with the presser foot currently attached to the machine. It would prevent broken needles!

It would be totally fun if you could connect your machine to the internet (wirelessly). Then you could look up quilting websites, online manuals and tutorials at Brother.ca, sewing patterns, download new stitches, etc.

Thank you, Brother, for the opportunity to give your new sewing machine a test run! Sadly, I will now be packaging it up and getting it ready to send back to you.

Cindy has a few more posts on the NX-2000 Laura Ashley computerized sewing machine… check them out here!

Thanks Cindy… we’re sure our readers have loved hearing from you!

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You have totally hooked me. I have an old White sewing machine bought in 1972. All of the new machines have looked so complicated that I have been totally turned off! This one looks easy but chocked full of stuff. I am assuming you can just sew simple things as well, like a dress. I am off to check out the price. Thanks for the great review.

I enjoyed your review. I received this machine today and I’ll be giving it a good testing over the next couple of weeks. I have opened the box and just got it plugged it. It’s a rugged little (or should I say Big) girl. I like it so far.

To answer your questions… yes, you could use this machine to sew dresses and anything, really. The retail price is just under $3,000. It would be a great machine for a beginner as it is not difficult to use and way less frustrating than a cheap machine that may or may not work consistently.

I love my Laura Ashley. I purchased it last Fall. I too broke a needle when trying out a different presser foot. The machine does tell you what presser foot to use. It is displayed in the top left corner of the screen when you select a stitch. I now lock my stitch selection after putting in the displayed presser foot. In the top center of the screen there is displayed a symbol that looks like a lock. If you press it then your stitch selection is locked until you press the symbol again to unlock it. I use the lock symbol to remind me to check the presser foot to be used when I change stitches.

I am shopping for a machine that quilts, stopped and looked at this model as well as a Viking Sapphire and a Bernina. Can someone advise which is better? The price is within a few hundred dollars of each other. Thanks for the input